Thursday, June 8, 2006

Another Grocer Rolls Out PBT

Pathmark, which operates 141 Grocery Stores on the East Coast, will introduce Pay By Touch finger-touch payment service in four of its supermarkets, before rolling it out to other units.

Pathmark did not say which stores will introduce the payment technology. "Paying by touch is really as simple as it sounds," noted Pathmark c.e.o. John Standley in a statement. "Pay By Touch provides our shoppers with a fast, convenient, and secure payment option. It's just one more way Pathmark is dedicated to helping our busy shoppers.

"Pathmark customers will be able to use Pay By Touch after a one-time sign-up at in-store kiosks, or online at www.paybytouch.com. To enroll, a shopper must provide photo ID, a voided check, and a finger to be scanned. According to Pay By Touch, customer information is never sold or disclosed.Once they're signed up, customers can immediately use the service to buy items at participating Pathmark stores, or at any other retail store in the United States that is part of the Pay By Touch network. Other retailers offering Pay By Touch include Albertsons, Cub Foods, Piggly Wiggly, Farm Fresh, Thriftway, bigg's, Green Hills, Harris Teeter, and Sunflower Market. At the point of sale, shoppers place a finger on a scanner and enter their phone number. After the shopper is recognized by name, and the transaction amount is OK'd, payment is automatically debited from his or her checking account. No account numbers are exposed at the point of sale.

Pathmark operates 141 supermarkets in the New York-New Jersey and Philadelphia metropolitan areas